Inside Out
by PrettyVacant483
Summary: When Charles is told that the school is in need of a new English teacher, he decides to contact an old friend. He can't help but notice feelings after seeing her for the first time in years, but he feels these emotions are unrequited. X/OC. First Class.
1. Just the Beginning

"**Chase that dream down the highway**

**Don't care when it's going my way**

**The sky on top, rain behind me, there's no looking back**

**I want you to need me like I need you**

**Never thought I'd find something so pure…**

* * *

><p><strong>1968<strong>

"More and more seem to appear by the day," Hank commented, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He stared at the chess board and thought carefully before moving his knight.

"It's amazing how successful this school already is," Charles replied.

"You realizing that we will need a new English teacher soon, right?"

Charles looked at the board, but he wasn't thinking about the game. "Why? You're a great teacher."

"I'm a great science and math teacher. We need an English teacher."

"And where do you propose we find this new English teacher?" Charles pondered, moving his pawn a single space forward. "You know the rules. Mutant students, mutant teachers."

"And if you expect me to believe that Cerebro cannot find a single competent mutant skilled in English language and literature," he looked up and raised an eyebrow, "you must take me for a fool."

Charles remained quiet. "There will be no need for Cerebro. I will call up an old friend who may by up for the job. Literally."

Hank took out Charles' pawn with a bishop. "Check."

* * *

><p><strong>1960<strong>

"Five pounds says I can get her phone number," young Charles offered with a smirk to Raven. Raven looked over at the young, dark-haired girl sitting alone at a small table at the other end of the pub. She was reading a magazine and had an empty glass on the table with her.

"Her?"

With a feigned offended expression, Charles pouted. "I feel offended. Do you think I don't stand a chance?"

Raven rolled her eyes and smiled. "If you stood a _decent_ chance of nabbing her number you wouldn't feel the need to bet me. But I accept your offer." Raven took Charles' hand from atop the bar counter and shook it. He smiled, scoffed, and finished off his glass of beer.

He stood up, took a breath, but Raven stopped him for a quick moment. She grabbed his elbow. "No cheating," she said, tapping her head with her middle finger twice before letting go. Charles nodded.

His fist tightened for a quick moment as he took the chair next to her. "Hello, I'm Charles. And you are…"

The young woman looked up with neither a frown nor a smile. "Aren't you to the point? Ellie."

"I couldn't help but notice that you're reading a rather odd magazine for a girl like you."

"A girl like me?"

"I have never before seen a college girl reading from Technology Review, unless they were hoping to impress a very smart guy," he said, cocking an eyebrow. "Can I buy you another drink?"

"I'd like to say yes, but it's late-"

Charles interrupted her mid-sentence. "Come on. One drink. We can talk about that article on the future on personal computers in the home."

Ellie smirked. "You read the article?"

"Of course. Fascinating, but a little predictable. A basic article on how computers are evolving to a point of human convenience. Not too far apart from what I'm working on," Charles answered ordering two beers.

"And is it safe to assume that it has nothing to do with computers." "Human evolution and mutation," he said. "At some point, almost instantaneously, some humans will change dramatically and gain superhuman abilities and features. More and more of these will appear and they will procreate. Survival of the fittest." A waitress placed two glasses of beer on the table.

Ellie stared at Charles for a moment. "Superhuman? Like what exactly?"

"I can't say exactly," he lied, "But it's believed to be anything from telepathy to even, possibly, shape shifting. Possibilities are endless."

"Fascinating. But do you actually believe it's realistic for them to change so quickly?'

"Not them. Us. Possibly this generation. Who knows who are out there?" Charles knew he had her at this point. She began to smile again. "They could be in this very room."

She pursed her lips, thinking of a decent reply. "You don't say?"

"Look," he said leaning in, as if to tell her a secret, "If you would like to talk more about the future of humans and human _relations_, why don't you give your number?"

She teased him a little by biting her lower lip before answering. Ellie lightly rested a hand on his, which was placed at the handle of the beer glass. "Got a pen?"

Charles fetched one from his jacket pocket with his free hand. He clicked it open before handing it to Ellie. She wrote her number on his hand, rested the pen on the table, and then let go of him. "I'll be upset if you don't actually call me."

"No problem," he replied. "I don't disappoint."

She stood up, grabbed her magazine and purse, and left. Raven immediately came over and sat at Ellie's seat. "Cheater."

"Am not," he defended. "How did I cheat?"

"I was listening the entire time. You've never picked up a copy of Technology Review in your life. You read her mind."

Charles raised his hands up in defeat. "Fine, fine. You win."

"Oh, no. You still win. I've known you long enough to tell when you want to pick a girl up," Raven leaned back and crossed her arms, "And when you actually like a girl."

"I'm a man; she's a woman. I have yet to commit a crime."

Raven said nothing, which was saying more than Charles wanted to hear from his irritatingly smart foster sister.

* * *

><p><strong>1968<strong>

"Would you happen to know the address of the capable English teacher?" Hank asked.

"No, but I will give you her name and the city she should be living in. Her name is Eleanor Harrison," Charles said, moving his King. "Possibly a doctor in her field by now. It's been a while since we've talked."

"What constitutes 'a while' ?"

"Eight years."

Hank lifted his hand from the piece he was about to move. "A woman whom you have not seen for eight years. How did you know her?"

"She and I met during college. She was an English major, and we met at a pub. If it wasn't for her, I might not have gotten the information for a major percentage of my research."

"It sounds as if she were an important woman."

"She was," Charles answered. "She is."

* * *

><p>…<strong>We thought we'd be somewhere else<strong>

**We started a long time ago**

**Who thought we'd be anywhere else**

**Don't think that it's over**

**I know that the world belongs to us**

**And it's just the beginning."**


	2. Suddenly I See

"She fills up every corner like she's born in black and white

Makes you feel warmer when you're trying to remember what you heard

She likes to leave you hanging on her word...

* * *

><p><strong>1960<strong>

It had been three days since Charles had spoken to the girl from the pub. He had full intentions of calling her, but it was now Tuesday, and he had a long paper to work on. He sat in his study in full silence. Raven had gone out with a few friends, and it was late at night. Charles had lost track of time before the bell had rung. He looked up at the clock, and it read 11:13. He put down his pen and walked out of the study towards the front door.

He opened the door with no thought and saw Ellie standing there almost timidly. "Ellie," he said, "What are you doing here?"

She had a short, stapled stack of papers in her hand and bit her lower lip. "A friend of mine told me a little more about you and gave me this. It's your essay on genetic mutation in humans."

"Oh, okay-"

"And I couldn't wait to see you." Her faced scrunched up in anguish the moment she said that. "I mean, I needed to talk to you. Desperately."

Charles looked at her skeptically.

_Please let me in._

"Come on in," he invited. "How did you find my address?"

"A friend of a friend," she answered, walking into the building. As Charles shut the door behind her, she said, "Charles, how serious are you in your belief that mutants exist in this generation?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets and frowned. "Why?"

"Please, just tell me."

"In that case, very. Ellie, what is it that you want to talk to me about exactly?"

"Because I think you might be able to tell me about, well, me." Immediately every light in the house turned off. "Something's very odd about me."

The lights turned back on, and Ellie stood quietly.

Charles couldn't control his smile before saying, "You can-"

"Control anything that runs on electricity with nothing more than a thought," she finished. "It's been this way since I was a child. Stop smiling."

He still wasn't able to contain himself. "This is fantastic."

"What are you talking about-"

_**You're not alone, Ellie.**_

Ellie stood still. She looked around without moving before looking back at Charles. "How'd you do that?

_**You're not the only mutant out there. There are more of you, more of us.**_

"You're in my head," she said, beginning to laugh. "Oh my god!"

Charles began to laugh too. "I'm a telepath and you're a technopath."

"I didn't know there was a word for it."

1968

"Hank, have you found out Eleanor Harrison's phone number yet?" Charles asked, entering his lab. It had been two days since the conversation at the chess game.

"No, but I did find the number of an Eleanor Johansson nee Harrison. According to what I've learned, she got married in 1965."

"Oh." Charles had nothing to add. "Married."

Hank looked up from his notebook with a cocked eyebrow. "Disappointed, Charles?"

"Disappointed? About what?"

"You tell me. Anyway, I already called her."

"You did what?" Charles asked, deadpan. "What did you say?"

"I told her that her old friend Charles Xavier would like to talk with her. She said she would be on a plane this Friday." Hank put down his notebook and glasses. "Charles, is there anything I should know about the two of you?"

"No. Not at all."

* * *

><p><strong>1960<strong>

"So you can control anything that runs on electricity?" Charles asked, calming down from the laughter.

"Televisions, radios. When I was a child, I shut off a pinball game midway while this girl I didn't like was playing." Ellie clasped her hand over her mouth to stop another burst of laughter.

Charles offered to take her coat, and she gave it to him. "Would you like a drink?" he asked.

"Water will be fine," she said. "I still can't believe that there's anyone out there like me. Do you know any others?"

Charles led her to the living room before heading to the kitchen. "Uh, I don't think she'd like it if I just outed her."

"Fair enough," Ellie said. "I'll respect her privacy. If you don't mind me asking, did you have any indication when you talked to me at the pub-"

"No clue," he said from the kitchen. "Honest. I usually try to avoid mind reading when I don't have permission or it's not necessary." Ellie sat down at the couch when Charles came back with a glass of water. "I swear."

"I believe you."

Charles sat down next to her. "Have you told anyone?"

She immediately shook her head. "Never. But after I read your essay, I just had to find you and find you."

"Speaking of which, I apologize for not calling you earlier. I have been really busy."

"It's okay. I feel a little bit odd for just needing to come over. I just couldn't be patient. Two decades of silence has been too long."

"Understandable," he said. "It can be frightening to think your all alone. That you're the only mutant around."

"Mutant?" she repeated. "Is that the word for it?"

"Do you have an alternative?"

She shrugged. "Gifted?"

* * *

><p><strong>1968<strong>

"Professor Xavier, wouldn't it be best to just be honest to Miss Harrison?" Sean asked. Friday had arrived.

"I am not _lying_. I am simply not explicitly saying the truth," Charles replied. "We have a lot to catch up on, and I don't want one of the first things she noticed is that… I…"

"That you're in a wheelchair?" he asked. Sean crossed his arms and stared at his professor. Charles had positioned himself in his wheelchair behind his large desk in his study. It was not visible from a spectator's view. Sean walked out of the room after commenting, "I'll let her in when she arrives."

"Thank you."

With that, Sean shut the door and left Charles to his thoughts. It had been years since they had last spoken, but it felt like days. Charles still had this odd, perfect vision of Ellie, but he knew it was outdated. She was grown; she was mature; she was _married._

The doorbell rang.

It could have been anyone.

It could have been a student.

It could have been a deliver.

It could have been Ellie.

Charles couldn't resist. He shut his eyes and entered Sean's mind for a moment. He saw him open the door to a short, dark-haired woman. She was dressed in a dark purple skirt suit and carried a large black pursed. She hoisted it over her shoulder and offered her hand to Sean. "Hello, my name's Ellie Harrison."

Sean answered back, "I'm Sean Cassidy. I'll take you up to Professor Xavier's office."

Charles' eyes flew open, and he left Sean's mind. He held his breath and urged himself to do something to look a little more presentable. He couldn't think of anything to do. He laughed at himself and let his breath go.

A few minutes later he heard a knock on the door. "Professor? Misses Harrison is here to see you."

"Come in," Charles announced. Sean opened the door and lead Ellie in. She barely looked a year older to him. Her dark hair was long, straight, but very professional looking. Her suit fit well around her body, and her shoes made her three inches taller. Her face lit up the moment she saw him. "Hello, Ellie."

"Hello, Charles," she said. Her face said more. She went ahead and took the seat across from Charles. Sean immediately closed the door. "How long has it been?"

"About eight years, I believe. Why?"

"No reason," she answered. "I just… it's just amazing to see you again."

"I can't help but feel the same way," Charles said, dragging the 'a' and the final word as his eyes traced down to her left hand. He immediately noticed that her ring finer was barren. "Misses Harrison."

"Yeah, that," she said, picking up her left hand and looking at it. "I'm in the middle of a divorce. I hope to get my name changed back soon."

Silent, Charles regretted his decision to say anything. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. Aaron and I just had a falling out. It was mutual."

* * *

><p>…<strong>And she's taller than most<strong>

**And she's looking at me**

**I can see her eyes looking from a page in a magazine."**


	3. Enchanted

"**Across the room, your silhouette starts to make it's way to me**

**The playful conversation starts**

**Counter all your quick remarks like passing notes in secrecy**

**And it was enchanting to meet you…**

* * *

><p><strong>1960<strong>

"So what's going on here?" Raven asked, walking into the living room.

"Raven, I didn't hear you come in," Charles said. "I'm sorry. Uh, this is Ellie," he introduced. Raven and Ellie immediately shook hands.

Smiling, Ellie said, "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Raven said. "Ah, you're the girl from the pub."

Ellie nodded. "Yeah. Were you there? I didn't see you."

"Oh, I was there," she replied.

"Raven," Charles said. "I think we might as well all be honest with each other."

"Charles, what are you getting at?" Raven asked, still confused.

Ellie looked at him before he lightly grabbed her hand. "Go ahead," he told her. She bit her lower lip before the light in the room began to fade darker and lighter repetitively before she finally left them on.

Raven began to laugh. "Leave it to Charles to accidentally hit on a mutant. Did he say anything about me?"

Ellie shook her head. "Nothing till right now."

Raven stood there still, leaving Ellie confused. Immediately, Raven began to change shape to look identical to Ellie. Ellie gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth. "Oh my god!" she said, almost entering another fit of laughter. "That's amazing." Raven changed back into her blonde-haired self and smiled.

"Charles, can I see you in the kitchen?" Raven asked, motioning with her hand. "Please?"

He stood up and followed her. "Isn't this fantastic?" he asked in a low voice when they arrived in the kitchen. "An event like this just inspires me to find more of us out there."

"What were you thinking by inviting her to the house past eleven at night?" Raven asked. She didn't scold him, but she was pressuring him to be honest.

"I swear I didn't call her. She read an essay of mine and said that she had to see me," Charles insisted.

Raven scoffed. "A likely story."

"I _swear_."

"Did you have any idea-"

"That she was a mutant? No. She came over here and seemed scared out of her mind. I mean, look at her." The two of them could see the back of her head from the door of the kitchen. "When I saw that something could scare someone so confident, so unique, so-"

"Sexy?" Raven asked.

Charles lowered his head and looked up. "I can't. I- It would be rude to try and start something. At least now, anyway. She's in a very fragile place right now."

"Leave it to the British to be over obsessed with manners."

* * *

><p><strong>1968<strong>

"Okay, I have to ask," Ellie said, "What exactly is this place?"

"It's a school for gifted youngsters. Young mutants," he answered.

"You have to give me a tour of the place," Ellie insisted. "How many students do you have?"

"A few dozen, and that's why I had Professor McCoy call you. We need someone with your experience." Ellie sat quietly. "In English. I'd like to offer you a job teaching here."

"You want me to be an English teacher? Charles I don't know a thing about being a teacher. That was always your skill."

He grinned, rested an elbow on the table, and placed his chin in his palm. "I suppose. But we're getting more and more children by the semester. The next semester begins in two weeks, and we need help. I can't promise a high pay. What is it that you do now?"

"Paralegal assistant," she answered. "Nothing exciting. A lot of writing. It gets irritating after a while. Can't be better than teaching."

Charles' eyes flashed up. "Is that a yes?"

"This is such an impulsive move, but yes. There's really nothing for me back in England. And, honestly, I can't think of anything more productive to do with myself right now. Now, like I said, you have to show me around," she said, standing up, "I want to meet the students.

"Before I show you around, there is something I have to tell you," Charles said, in a low voice. "Have you heard about the incident between the Soviets and the Americans in 1962?"

Ellie nodded and sat down. "Of course. Who hasn't?"

"Well, I , along with about ten other mutants were there. There was an incident, and I was shot." Charles placed his hand on the controller of the wheelchair. Hank had designed a new electric wheelchair for Charles' convenience, and he was still getting a hold of his. He wheeled himself a feet back and moved himself to the front of the desk.

Ellie stared at him with a partially gaped mouth. "I… I'm so sorry, Charles. I didn't know."

"That was my initial goal," he said, smiling. "I've gotten used to it. Don't feel sorry for me."

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"It's okay. Now, come on. Let me show you around the school." Charles led Ellie out of the room, as she nervously followed him. He led he across the hall where a series of bedroom doors stood. "These are the bedrooms for students. There are a few classrooms and teachers' rooms upstairs, but I don't find it so interesting that we need to stop by there right now. Let's go downstairs where the student lounge and kitchen are." Charles went to elevator right at the end of the hall and pressed the 'down' button. "This always takes forever-"

The elevator doors immediately opened. Charles looked up at Ellie. "Thank you."

She smiled. "Glad to be of service."

Upon arriving at the ground floor, Charles brought Ellie to the lounge. "Here the students can relax, watch television, socialize. All the things kids and teenagers do these day," Charles said, mocking a middle aged man. Half a dozen students sat around the television and ignored the two of them. "Students, please say hello to your new English teacher."

Two or three students mumbled 'hello's to the two of them before Charles motioned to Ellie. The television turned off. The students groaned and turned to Charles and Ellie. "Hello," they all said.

"So you're going to be the new English teacher?" a boy in his young teens asked. "Good. The other day, Professor McCoy told us we would read our new assignment for the next semester would be 'The Origin of Species.'"

Ellie looked at Charles and then back at the student. "I promise. No Darwin in my classroom. We'll stick with Hawthorn and Shakespeare."

Ellie turned the TV back on before one of the smaller girls said, "Awesome."

* * *

><p>…<strong>This is me praying that this was the very first page<strong>

**Not where the story ends**

**My thoughts will echo your name until I see you again**

**These are the words I held back as I was leaving too soon."**


End file.
